noun
Archaic honorific term for the emperor, literally 'manifest kami' or 'god who appears in this world'. Used in classical Japanese to refer to the emperor as a divine being.
古事記には、天皇を「現つ神」と称する記述がある。
In the Kojiki, there are passages that refer to the emperor as 'akitsukami' (a living god).
Irregular okurigana usage; the same kanji can also be read あきつかみ in this context.
From Old Japanese. Composed of 現つ (akitsu, 'manifest, of this world') + 神 (kami, 'god, deity'). The exact derivation of akitsu is uncertain, but it is related to 現 (aki, 'visible, present') and the archaic genitive particle つ (tsu).